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. 1993 Jun 15;90(12):5858–5862. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.12.5858

Polar/apolar compounds induce leukemia cell differentiation by modulating cell-surface potential.

A Arcangeli 1, M Carlà 1, M R Del Bene 1, A Becchetti 1, E Wanke 1, M Olivotto 1
PMCID: PMC46822  PMID: 8516337

Abstract

The mechanism of action of polar/apolar inducers of cell differentiation, such as dimethyl sulfoxide and hexamethylene-bisacetamide, is still obscure. In this paper evidence is provided that their effects on murine erythroleukemia cells are modulated by various extracellular cations as a precise function of the cation effects on membrane surface potential. The interfacial effects of the inducers were directly measured on the charged electrode, showing that both dimethyl sulfoxide and hexamethylene-bisacetamide, at the effective concentrations for cell differentiation and within the physiological range of charge density, adsorb at the charged surface and produce a potential shift. A linear correlation was found between this shift and the inducer effects on cell differentiation. Besides offering a different interpretation of the mechanism of action of the inducers, these findings indicate that surface potential has a signaling function. They may also be relevant to cancer treatments based on tumor-cell commitment to terminal differentiation.

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Selected References

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